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ginabridgida's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Child abuse
proudtobeabookaholic's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
För 30 år sedan sattes den då 15-årige Vincent King i fängelse för att ha kört ihjäl en flicka. Nu är han frisläppt och återvänder till sin hemstad Cape Haven i Kalifornien. Hur kommer han att tas emot av Star Radley, sin ex-flickvän, vars lillasyster han dödade? Och av Walk, hans bästa vän och numera polischef, men även den som satte dit honom för 30 år sen? Duchess Day Radley, Stars 13-åriga dotter, försöker skydda både sin mamma och sin 5-årige lillebror Robin, men i och med det drar hon igång en kedja av händelser som får ödesdigra konsekvenser.
Den här boken har jag velat läsa sedan den gavs ut och jag såg författaren på Babel. Nu blev det äntligen av då vi ska diskutera den i min ena bokcirkel. Jag får erkänna att det tog ett tag innan jag fastnade och jag hade även problem med att skilja på vissa karaktärer, men det brukar vara ganska vanligt för mig när jag lyssnar och inte ser namnen i text. Man kan väl säga att det är mer än ett par tragiska liv vi får ta del av i "Slutet blir vår början". Det är lätt att känna med karaktärerna och särskilt Duchess och Vincent hittade en väg till mitt hjärta.
Vi har inte träffats i bokcirkeln än, men jag tycker nog att den här boken har en bra grund för diskussioner. Till exempel föräldraskap, förlåtelse, fosterhem och hur långt man är beredd att gå för att skydda sin familj. Om man, som jag, gillade "Där kräftorna sjunger" och "Under magnoliaträden" så tror jag att man även kommer att uppskatta "Slutet blir vår början".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Stalking, Suicide, Child death, and Car accident
nadia_luq's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Suicide, Abandonment, Alcohol, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Fire/Fire injury
karinabaugus's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Suicide, Death, and Gun violence
ciwanski's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
What a Greek tragedy this book is.
This was a sad book like the whole way through. It was good and well thought out, but too sad to be a favorite for me.
This was a sad book like the whole way through. It was good and well thought out, but too sad to be a favorite for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Blood, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
quirkygirlreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Do you ever get the sense that an author is trying to write this hard-hitting contemporary novel - but they don't seem to have experienced any of the things they are writing about?
Like the story is beautiful and the type of story you want to read, but yet there is something missing?
The Good: The plot of We Begin at the End, was interesting, the mystery was engaging. It was like a deviation from the normal tropes you see in mystery/thrillers, but it wasn't so different that you felt lost.
Someone mentioned a comparison between this novel and Where The Crawdads Sing - I think that is a perfect comparison. Sure, this is a mystery... but there is also a huge emphasis on coming of age and heartbreak and friendship. At times I forgot I was even reading a mystery story, and felt more like I was reading a historical fiction.
The Bad: oh boy... please don't hate me. The characters ages were SO UNBELIEVABLE! Not only did Duchess seem FAR too young for the deep philosophical quotes she was speaking, but you're telling me that Vincent, Walk and Star are in their FORTIES! No way. Also, the names in this book were strange, that is all.
I found Duchess rather annoying, to be perfectly honest. Frankly, her repeating "I'm an outlaw" constantly was the only part of her story that felt like it was told from a 13 year old perspective.
Lastly, normally I love when the title of a book is hidden within its text. Almost like the author is leaving a breadcrumb that pulls it all together. But not only did this novel never really explain what "we begin at the end" meant, it was repeated over and over as an attempt to sound.... deep?
The Consensis: We Begin at the End feels like the last draft of a novel before it gets sent to print. There were just a few tweaks that could have been made to round this read up to 5 stars, but instead it just fell short...
Like the story is beautiful and the type of story you want to read, but yet there is something missing?
The Good: The plot of We Begin at the End, was interesting, the mystery was engaging. It was like a deviation from the normal tropes you see in mystery/thrillers, but it wasn't so different that you felt lost.
Someone mentioned a comparison between this novel and Where The Crawdads Sing - I think that is a perfect comparison. Sure, this is a mystery... but there is also a huge emphasis on coming of age and heartbreak and friendship. At times I forgot I was even reading a mystery story, and felt more like I was reading a historical fiction.
The Bad: oh boy... please don't hate me. The characters ages were SO UNBELIEVABLE! Not only did Duchess seem FAR too young for the deep philosophical quotes she was speaking, but you're telling me that Vincent, Walk and Star are in their FORTIES! No way. Also, the names in this book were strange, that is all.
I found Duchess rather annoying, to be perfectly honest. Frankly, her repeating "I'm an outlaw" constantly was the only part of her story that felt like it was told from a 13 year old perspective.
Lastly, normally I love when the title of a book is hidden within its text. Almost like the author is leaving a breadcrumb that pulls it all together. But not only did this novel never really explain what "we begin at the end" meant, it was repeated over and over as an attempt to sound.... deep?
The Consensis: We Begin at the End feels like the last draft of a novel before it gets sent to print. There were just a few tweaks that could have been made to round this read up to 5 stars, but instead it just fell short...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Rape, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, and Sexual harassment
wistfulspirit's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
sara_phoenix's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Cape Haven is a sleepy costal California town where everyone knows everyone. Tragedy struck 30 years ago with the death of 7 year-old Sissy, and when the felon, Vincent King, is released from prison, old wounds open. Chief of Police Walk knows the pain firsthand as he was the one who sent his best friend to prison all those years ago. But when Sissy’s troubled sister, Star, is murdered and leaves behind her two children, thirteen year-old daughter, Duchess, and her six year-old son, Robin, Walk must face the past head on to catch a killer and protect Star’s children. Part drama and part crime/thriller, Whitaker’s third novel reads as if he’s done this many, many times before. The characters are flawed but so well-developed, especially self-proclaimed outlaw Duchess, and I couldn’t help but root for each of them throughout the book. This hauntingly beautiful story reads like a modern day Shawshank Redemption - where do you go when things keep falling apart? How do you face yet another loss? In this book the characters work through the process of growth and of letting go; of grief and of healing; of beginning at the end. This is a book that will stick with you long after you finish reading. I can’t wait to see what Whitaker comes up with next. Brilliant.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, and Mental illness
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